Saturday, March 24, 2012
Alaska Gold Mining Bibliography
Today I’m posting a 1997 bibliography from the US Bureau of Mines that lists all of the reports, maps, and surveys that the BM had on Alaska mining. I guess this is about the time that the Bureau of Mines was being shut down by Bill Clinton and most of the functions merged into the BLM.
I’m not sure if that was the last big government agency to be shutdown, but I can’t think of any other since then.
It’s not easy reading, but it’s a great research document.
So, take a look at the list-of-blm-docs-on-alaska-mining
Strike It Rich!
Tagged with: Alaska Gold • Alaskan Prospectors • Gold Dredges • Gold Mine • Gold Miner • Gold Mining
Filed under: Alaska Mining
View the original article here
Everything You Should Know About Locating Mining Claims
A large number of lands are still open to mineral location, but you should know where to find them.
If you’re a citizen of the United States, a corporation, or even a non-citizen who has declared your intention to become one, you can locate a mining claim.
A mining claim gives the holder the right to mine on federal land, while a patent gives him outright ownership of mineral-rich land that belongs to the federal government.
Federal lands can be determined from maps, however there are no maps representing mining claims.
A mining claim can be located on these lands which are open to mineral location. If you have a specific piece of land in mind and no active claims are shown on the county’s records, the land may then be open for staking.
Here is a pretty good Ebook put out by the Bureau of Land Management that will explain things better: BLM Mining Info.
Filed under: A Little Gold News
Gold Rush: Alaska
Premieres Friday, December 3 2010 at 10PM ET/PT
Follows six men who, in the face of an economic meltdown, risk everything – their families, their dignity, and in some cases, their lives – to strike it rich mining for gold in the wilds of Alaska.
Inspired by his father Jack, Todd Hoffman of Sandy, Oregon, leads a group of greenhorn miners to forge a new frontier and save their families from dire straits.
While leasing a gold claim in Alaska, Todd and his company of newbies face the grandeur of Alaska as well as its hardships, including an impending winter that will halt operations and the opportunity to strike gold. In an effort to keep the operation running, the team takes fate into their own hands with a make or break venture that will change their lives forever.
After watching the steady decline of his aviation business in Oregon due to the stalled economy, Todd searched for new opportunities. With the price of gold on the rise, he came up with a plan to mine for the mineral in southeast Alaska, where there’s an estimated $250 billion worth of gold. The mystique of Alaska draws Todd to Porcupine Creek, the setting for GOLD RUSH: ALASKA, where his father Jack mined for three seasons in the 1980s before he nearly went bankrupt.
Todd and Jack look to their community in Oregon for a team of men to work the mines alongside them, knowing dire economic straits have hit those around them hardest. They have no financial means to pay them until – or unless – they find gold. It’s a risk, but with high unemployment in Oregon, there’s no shortage of interest. The assembled team includes: rookie Jimmy Dorsey, mechanical genius James Harness, foreman Greg Remsburg, and safety officer Jim Thurber.
The mine at Porcupine Creek is located in the heart of one of the last great wildernesses, where weather conditions can change in an instant. The claim is surrounded by the largest bald eagle population on earth, and a nearby river is the site of a year-round salmon run. Grizzly bears and moose sightings happen daily, and the team must be prepared for some seriously close encounters.
Armed with the hope and ferocity to rekindle the original American Dream, GOLD RUSH: ALASKA shines a spotlight on this group of enthusiasts. In essence, these are the new “’49ers,” going back to the roots this country was founded on: hard labor, blood, sweat and tears. The men risk everything in the biggest gamble of their lives, and the hunt is on to strike it rich – or in some cases, go bust.
After watching the steady decline of his aviation business in Oregon due to the stalled economy, Todd searched for new opportunities. With the price of gold on the rise, he came up with a plan to mine for the mineral in southeast Alaska, where there’s an estimated $250 billion worth of gold.1 The mystique of Alaska draws Todd to Porcupine Creek, the setting for GOLD RUSH: ALASKA, where his father Jack mined for three seasons in the 1980s before he nearly went bankrupt.
Todd and Jack look to their community in Oregon for a team of men to work the mines alongside them, knowing dire economic straits have hit those around them hardest. They have no financial means to pay them until – or unless – they find gold. It’s a risk, but with high unemployment in Oregon, there’s no shortage of interest. The assembled team includes: rookie Jimmy Dorsey, mechanical genius James Harness, foreman Greg Remsburg, and safety officer Jim Thurber.
The mine at Porcupine Creek is located in the heart of one of the last great wildernesses, where weather conditions can change in an instant. The claim is surrounded by the largest bald eagle population on earth, and a nearby river is the site of a year-round salmon run. Grizzly bears and moose sightings happen daily, and the team must be prepared for some seriously close encounters. Armed with the hope and ferocity to rekindle the original American Dream, GOLD RUSH: ALASKA shines a spotlight on this group of enthusiasts.
In essence, these are the new “’49ers,” going back to the roots this country was founded on: hard labor, blood, sweat and tears. The men risk everything in the biggest gamble of their lives, and the hunt is on to strike it rich – or in some cases, go bust.
Filed under: Alaska Mining
Oregon Gold Mining
OK, so I am running a little late after lovely April 15th. Well, now I need to get back to helping you find some gold to keep the government running along with your fat taxes from the big gold you find, because I am sure that you report every single ounce you find.
Oregon has had significant gold production over the years. This document is a solid twenty-three page historical document on gold mining in Oregon.
Oregon has a lot of things going for it, because lots of the state has plenty of water. Also, there is lots of government land which makes it easy to find places to file a claim.
Check it out!
Oregon Gold Mining
Tagged with: Gold Mining In Oregon
Filed under: Oregon Mining
Gold Mining In 2010
Like most grizzly bears this time of year I am slowly beginning to come out of my long winter hibernation. I will be posting more gold treasure maps and other good information.
I think 2010 is going to be a good year for all of the part-time gold miners, because the price of gold has stayed high.
I’ll be posting something every week or two until I get tired or strike it rich.
If you have any specific things you want me to look into let me know.
Good Luck!
Tagged with: Gold Mining • Gold Prices
Filed under: A Little Gold News
California Placer Mining
OK, some of my readers seem to believe that the documents I post are to obtuse for the average weekend gold miner. I don’t tend to agree because the average weekend gold miner is probably an engineer, auto mechanic, or school teacher during the week, and none of this stuff is rocket science. Also, you know that the weekend gold miners are smart, because they aren’t wasting there time playing golf.
Well, the document that I am posting this week placer-mining-california-doc-division-of-mines-and-geology is one that should be useful to almost every weekend gold miner whether you live in California or not.
This document is a very detailed thirty-seven page report on placer mining and from reading it you could pretty well go out and start washing dirt. It has plans for sluice boxes and lot of other cool stuff.
Strike It Rich!
Tagged with: California Gold Mines • Gold Miner • Gold Miners • Placer Mining • Sluice Boxes
Filed under: California Mining
Gold Mining In Alabama
Sweet Home Alabama! Yes, there is gold to be found in Alabama. According to this document by the Geological Survey of Alabama there 49,000 ounces of gold was reported through 1939 and probably at least that much more has been mined, but not reported.
This is a long document, but it’s worth your trouble to dig through it if you live in Alabama or somewhere nearby, particularly in Mississippi. A lot of Alabama gold fields are in natural forests and that can also work in your favor.
Check it out!
Alabama Mineral Survey
Tagged with: Alabama Gold Mining • Placer Gold Mines
Filed under: Alabama Mining
Arizona Gold Strike of 1988
Here’s an interesting little post a gold strike in Arizona in 1988.
It only about two pages, but it is an interesting little piece and if you do any prospecting out there in the desert, which was never my cup of tea, it is worth looking at.
So take a look at: arizona-gold-strike-1988
Strike It Rich!
Tagged with: Arizona Gold • Gold Mine • Gold Mining • Gold Strike
Filed under: Arizona Mining
Gold Mining In Idaho
Idaho is another state with a history of very strong gold production over the years. Hopefully, by now it is beginning to get warm enough to do a little gold mining in Idaho. One of the problems of prospecting in Idaho is that there is not always enough water, and a good gold detector is probably a good investment if you are really serious about gold prospecting in Idaho.
This is document about gold mining along the Snake River. It is full of interesting information and it is definitely worth looking at if you are even thinking prospecting in Idaho.
Gold Idaho
Tagged with: Gold metal detectors • Gold Mining in Idaho
Filed under: Idaho Mining
Gold Prospecting In Washington State
Washington state has consistently been a very good gold producer over the years and if you are prospecting for gold in Washington state you need to see this document. It is a 52 page document from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
It has tons of great information and if you are going to prospect in Washington state you really should take a look at this document.
Gold In Washington 1998
Tagged with: gold mining in Washington
Filed under: Washington Mining
Gold Mining Museums
As many of you know I’m a big believer that most of the significant gold is actually found during your research and museums are an often overlooked place to do research, particularly if you are stumped. I have found that looking at museums often give me a better feel for a project than say just reading or searching for information online, because the museum displays give you both an overview of mining in a given region, but also specific details about mining techniques, equipment, and production that you may not have known.
photo credit: nerdcoregirl
More importantly, even if you know all of the information in the exhibits, seeing the information explain in visual form may help spark some ideas you had never considered about where you might want to prospect and other research ideas.
Also, some of the old gold mining equipment might really be useful to you, because the old timers used a variety of methods that we no longer use for a variety of reasons. However, you might be able to use your equipment a little more effectively or perhaps decide to build a piece of your own gear. Most of the old stuff tends to be heavier and harder to use, but it depends on your situation.
Anyhow, here is the link for Mining Museums
Strike It Rich!
Filed under: A Little Gold News
Arizona Gold Mining Scams
OK, usually I give you leads that you can use to make a little money if you study the detail, but today I am tossing you a clue to keep you from losing money. There is no doubt that you can get scammed if you buy a claim or even invest into a larger commercial mine.
This document was put together by the Arizona Department of Mines and Minerals to help people avoid getting scammed.
It also has some clues about where you might want to go prospecting.
Check it out!
Arizona Gold Mining Scams
Tagged with: Arizona Gold Mining • Gold metal detectors
Filed under: Arizona Mining
Gold Mining In Virginia
John Smith and the other founders of Jamestown came to Virginia looking for gold. They didn’t find any gold. That was too bad for them, but very good for you.
There are lots of places around Virgina for amateur gold miners to prospect. The you may not find as much gold as you could find in other states, but there are a lot of great places to mine.
This article is from the Virginia Division Mineral Resources. It has an outstanding map. You can see that there are good places to try you luck within easy driving distance of all of Virginia’s major cities. You can literally pan for gold inside the Washington Beltway - without stooping to becoming a lobbyist. Check it out: GOLD In Virginia
Tagged with: Placer Gold Mines • Virginia Gold Mines
Filed under: Virginia Mining